tool positions hims self to have a clear shot in the things detection preparing to shoot if it attacks
When it becomes clear that it has been noticed, it turns and runs away at a surprisingly fast speed.
The day continues for another couple hours , you see it again. This time it is not sneaking. It moves up quickly to be 100 feet away and stands there waving a couple tentacles into the air. It is easier to see it but it is still hard to make out it's unusual shape. It seems to be a large sized quadruped that has odd tentacles on it's face. It is a combination of a green and reddish color.
tool positions himself again so he has a shot but hold till it makes him feel threatened
Katara readies an action to shoot the beast if it steps too close or appears hostile.
Hux also redies an action to shoot if the creature gets within 50ft
Alim strains his eyes, to see if he can get an idea of what has been following the group.
Seeing if he can communicate with it, Alim feels the strange fungus tingling in his throat. A strange sound comes out, catching Alim by surprise.
Beast Language Translation: "We do not mean harm. Why do you follow us?"
As he stands and stares at the creature, Alim speaks to the group. " I tried asking it why it is following us, and that we mean no harm..However, I am not confident in my skills yet.... Stand ready."
Alim feels like he knows this thing... it is on the tip of his tongue. Maybe if he can get a better look at it?
The thing seems to of noticed you noticed it again and darts off. This time, you are able to tell that it is not moving abnormally fast, but it is able to move through challenging areas with ease making it look high speed.
This happens one more time as the day goes on, but not till a lot later. It is almost camping time when it runs up and waves it's tentacles again, but this time also make a very loud gurgling noise.
Your fungus is unable to translate this so either it doesn't meet the criteria for the fungus, or it isn't actually communicating.
Dahlia advances toward the creature, arms empty and as she walks forward 30', she waves it closer.
Seeing as noone seems to have any idea how to deal with the creature hux will attempt to go into stealth and get closer to it.
Katara being quite bored at this point decides to yell at the weird beast.
Hey weird tentacle monster, if you're gonna attack us make sure to bring friends because I'm itching for a fun fight.
I think I know what that is, yes I do! I read an article about them recently. They are called Ksarik. He is what I can remember... Tumsy pauses and then begins talking as if he is reciting a textbook again.
Ksariks’ ancestors lived as mindless, animate plants that scavenged for food and sprouted their seedlings within corpses, rarely posing more than an incidental threat to other species. Millennia of ongoing strife between the planet’s formians and lashuntas bombarded these primeval ksariks with psychic energy, and only decades before the two factions’ recent peace deal, the plants began exhibiting rudimentary intelligence and a predatory drive. In an unsettlingly small number of generations, ksariks have developed a pack mentality, low cunning, and the preternatural ability to adopt competitors’ strengths.
A typical ksarik is a 12-foot-long quadruped made up of dense plant matter, including specialized tissues such as powerful tendons, woody internal supports that resemble bones, and flexible sheets of lignin that serve as a form of armor. Its head is immense and stocky, comprising approximately a dozen feeding tendrils that obscure its underdeveloped mouthparts. Its eyestalks project from either side of its head, providing a wide range of vision that sacrifices much of its ability to see targets immediately in front of it. To make up for this, a ksarik’s feeding tendrils are covered in an array of unusual sensory organs: some can discern the source of smells, while others sense movement and changes in light.
Originally occupying a niche between decomposers and scavengers, ksariks adapted to sniff out carrion and digest every piece of a rotting corpse. A ksarik’s body produces a steady supply of several different acids that help it break down food into a more manageable form, and modern ksariks regularly employ these acids in self-defense and hunting. The plants also have numerous thorns that grow along their legs and back. Botanists theorize that these also served as self defense when the ksariks were slower-moving creatures that resided lower on the food chain. Now, however, ksariks use these thorns as a form of reproduction, firing them into live prey and infecting those creatures with spores that gradually grow into nascent ksariks that feed on the host, and then painfully burrow out of the flesh days later. The spores must be fertilized beforehand in a process that resembles sexual congress between two ksariks, leaving both with a supply of seeds that remain viable for months afterward.
The most fearsome of the ksarik’s abilities is its capability of extracting and assimilating other creatures’ genetic codes, temporarily mimicking its prey’s adaptations. Studies suggest this ability is as much tied to a ksarik’s physical characteristics as it is some rudimentary psychic ability that allows the plant to adjust its body in accordance with a stolen genetic blueprint. Most of this code is unstable within the plants, meaning ksariks can rarely maintain an adaptation for more than a minute or, at most, a few hours. However, trace amounts of foreign DNA remain, and it appears that parents are able to pass lesser versions of their adopted abilities to their offspring.
This enhanced evolution has drawn ksariks into otherwise unsuitable habitats, where they have quickly outcompeted other species, even driving several of them to extinction. Due to this explosive growth, most lashuntas consider them an ecological nuisance, though xenobiologists have lobbied against the species’ eradication until it can be properly studied—especially now that the ksariks have begun absorbing and demonstrating signs of rudimentary culture.
The most notable evidence of this cultural development is the lilting melodies ksariks sing when in close proximity to one another. Scientists have yet to discover the purpose of these songs, as their best efforts to determine if they provide any information to the plants has failed.
What’s more, their attempts to replicate the sounds only lead to angering nearby ksariks, the creatures being seemingly affronted by the endeavor. These sounds appear to emanate directly from a ksarik’s skin instead of any particular orifice, a fact that opponents of ksarik conservation hold as proof that the plants aren’t purposefully making them. Of course, those on the other side of the argument believe it doesn’t matter from where the songs come.
Tumsy takes a deep breath after a very long winded repeat of the article he read. Very interesting stuff, yes it is! But seems dangerous that it has been trailing us...
After talking with the group on a strategy to attack the enemy, Katara gives his laser rifle, azimuth over to Hux so that Jib can use it. He also asks for Tumsy to give him a boost to his movement once everyone is ready to go.
Katara activates his jump jets and flies forward to be 70ft from the beast. Once there he fires two shots from his gun at the ksariks.
As Tumsy recites what he knows about the creature, Dahlia devides to drop back. "It's not trying to communicate, it's trying to lure us in. Hux, send jib in. It's attacks should be largly ineffective against him."
I guess we are doing this, yes we are! Tumsy listen to Katara's plan. Okay, we got a plan! Now Katara I need you to HURRY up and get out there, yes I do! Turning to the rest of you, Now everyone, go GET 'EM!
jib springs to life with his orders and takes an attack against the creature.
Hux fires his Laser pistol, azimuth
Tool keeps with the group and tries to sneak a attack in well its dealing with everyone else's attack.
Alim mumbles a little prayer to himself as he reaches for his gun as he runs up 20 ft. He breathes in, steadies his hand, and exhales on his release.
Katara manages to lay out massive damage to the creature from a great distance!
Jib follows up with a nice shot himself, not doing as much damage but clearly injuring it!
Hux on the other hand nearly drops the gun and fires a shot up into the air.
Tool is unable to find from the strange thing but is able hit it with a shot.
Following along with the groups pin point accuracy, Alim is also able to hit it with a shot.
The ksarik takes a brutal surprise of attacks. It launches a torn at Katara and starts to run away (40 ft), ending it's movement in a bush . Lucky for Katara, the thorn lands in a tree and not his flesh.
-27
Not wanting to overextend himself, Katara fires two shots from where he is. Unfortunately, the range and bushes make it hard to hit.
Dahlia warns her companions "If its smart enough to bring back friends, it is also smart enough to lead us into a trap chasing it. Leave it be, hopefully it learned its lesson."
Then, as they make camp, she channels to remove fatigue.
tool slips a shot in with katara's
Alim, satisfied with the amount of damage he contributed, agrees with Dahlia. "We did agree that we would do as little damage to the creatures and land as possible. While I am not fond of the thing following us, it did run away..." Alim trails off, staring after where the beast fled. He turns to his comrades, and his eyes turn up at the edges- a smile. "We should rest now. It has been a busy day..."
Dahlia would think that despite the fact that most plants are immune to mind effecting spells, the fact that this plant is based on psychic energy, it is likely to be effected by mind thrust.
The group misses their shots and the creature quickly scurries away. You are able to finish your day of travel and are able to set up your camp for the night.
Dahlia's shift passes by nice and peacefully with no sign of the Ksarik.
That changes during Katara's shift. This time, it sneaks to get 100 ft from Katara, which Katara doesn't notice. A thorn bounces off of his armor as the thing scurries away.
It does't come back that night.
Katara wears his armor as usual.
Dahlia continues to use the resources necessary to make herself comfortable.
Again Hux leads the party using landmarks
Hux goes with the Katara strategy for using his environmental protection
As dawn rises from the east, Alim stands and stretches. He looks back to his comrades, slowly waking from their slumber. As they wake, Alim digs in his camp bag and munches a little bit on some of the food that has been stored. While looking for the food, Alim finds the soft cloth bag that Naziha had given him...
Removing it from his bag, some of the essential oils fall gently into his lower hand. Feeling relatively gross from the consistent heat in this place, Alim takes a small amount of the oil and places it on his crimson scarf. The scent filled his senses, and he breathes deeply, finding himself briefly thinking of home, of Naziha. Exhaling, he places the oils back in the cloth, and puts it back in a safe spot.
Looking to his comrades, Alim rises to his full height, feeling renewed. He sets out for the day with some optimism and peace in his soul.
Tumsy has a rough day in the wild. But he keeps on slogging along.
The morning seems to go fine with the exception that Hux notices that he was leading the group the wrong direction for about an hour and a half.
It isn't until 7 hours into the day does something finally happen. You are traveling through the jungle when you hear a very horse grunt from a nearby clearing. It sounds as if someone is in pain. It is very strange to hear this out here since it sounded like a person and not an animal.
As soon as she hears the noise, Dahlia channels to remove the pesky fatigue from her companions.
Katara moves towards the noise, thinking it might be one of the guys they're after.
His follows cautiously behind katara along with jib
Tool moves up with the group ready to fire
As you approach the clearing, you can hear that it is a female's voice and she speaking common. Between grunts of pain, you can hear her bagging for the release of death. Please, Devourer grant me death! Give me the final embrace. Then more sounds of pain.
Once you get to the clearing, you see a single female korasha lashunta laying in the middle of the clearing. It is hard to see what the problem is from your current distance. She does not seem to of noticed you.
Seeing the injured woman ahead in obvious distress Katara speaks.
I know you may see no hope in this situation but if you wish we can help you heal and escape this jungle in time.
Are you a fool? Do you not see? There is no hope for me... just the hope I am granted death soon.
If you truly wish death I can provide you a weapon so that you may enter the afterlife, but first why don't you tell me why you have given into despair.
Dahlia scans around for signs of an ambush, then directs her attention to the female.
You see no sign of an ambush as you look about. Dahlia approaches the injured woman.
Before even examining her, Dahlia notices something very wrong. She seems to have odd bubble under her flesh.
Dahlia is unable to identify the problem, but she can tell that this person is in the "bedridden" stage of a disease. That is typically the second of last stage for diseases before death.
I would welcome a hand into the grave! I am dying in the most painful way I could imagine and I am too far along. What hope is there?
Tool takes a look to see if he can figure anything out
Between what Tumsy told you and Tool's examination of the woman, he is pretty sure she is in the late stages of being hit by the thorn of that plant monster from yesterday. He is unable to identify the course of the disease since it is a specific to this one critter but he can say that it is following the physical track so far and that she is painfully close to the next step (in typical cases, that would be comatose).
The woman continues to writhe in pain.
Alim approaches the harmed female. "Let me see her..."
Dahlia attempts to add to Alim's diagnosis.
Alim and Dahlia are able to figure out what is going on. The Ksarik has the ability to launch thorns that it uses as a form of reproduction. It will shoot thorns into people and the target will carry young of the ksarik. The incubation is like a disease till it ends.